Chapter 380: Aizen and Gin

"This isn't something to joke about," muttered a Shinigami, his face twisted in disbelief, unwilling to accept what he had just heard. Aizen's reputation within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was impeccable — warm, kind, compassionate, patient, elegant, and courteous. He was highly respected by his subordinates, and even among other squads, his reputation remained stellar.

"How could this be a joke? This is a high-level alert signed jointly by the Tenth and First Divisions," exclaimed a young Shinigami, shocked, having never seen such a high-level warning before.

Moments earlier, a top-priority alert had been issued jointly by the First and Tenth Divisions, causing a massive uproar throughout the Seireitei.

"Captain Aizen has betrayed us!" A member of the Fifth Division, who was deeply devoted to Aizen, displayed a look of utter disbelief. It was difficult to imagine that their kind, gentle, polite, and genuinely sincere Captain, who was so beloved by the Fifth Division and well-regarded by many other members, had actually turned traitor.

This reality was hard for those who had seen Aizen to accept.

Many of the captains of the other divisions were equally surprised.

"Move over here..." Aizen, wearing the Fifth Division Captain's haori, passed through the area of the Third Division. He noticed the solemn expressions of the Shinigami, who he had previously encountered on different occasions, now leading their subordinates to search everywhere for him.

They passed right by Aizen as if he were part of the building's walls, without a single glance of suspicion.

There were few within the Seireitei who hadn't witnessed Aizen's Shikai, Kyoka Suigetsu. In past celebratory gatherings and various performances, Aizen had openly displayed his Kyoka Suigetsu before many, mesmerizing them with its ethereal beauty, like a mirage that was both unreachable and yet right in front of their eyes, an absolute visual delight.

This wasn't the first time; almost every annual gathering and celebration, Aizen would perform his calligraphy as a master and demonstrate his Shikai, enjoying the moments with his subordinates. Countless people had fallen under the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu.

Even the lowest-ranking janitors of the Seireitei felt fortunate to have witnessed Kyoka Suigetsu. Therefore, even when Aizen walked openly through the Seireitei, no one could detect his presence.

Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis, with its ability to manipulate all five senses, made it impossible for the many Shinigami searching for him to find a single clue.

As the day gave way to a chilly evening, the incessant footsteps continued, stifling even the crickets' chirping.

Within the barracks of the Third Division, a half-opened sliding door let in a gust of warm, bothersome air, while the moon hung overhead, scattering silver light.

The night seemed cool, yet there was an unusual agitation in the air, with the hurried footsteps of Shinigami echoing constantly outside.

Returning from the scene of Aizen's staged death, Gin Ichimaru maintained his ever-present smile, even taking delight in the warm breeze entering through the open door. He brewed a cup of hot tea, grabbed a persimmon cake from the table, and sipped his tea calmly, appearing indifferent to the chaos outside the courtyard, as if enjoying a moment of leisure.

Silver moonlight spilled through the doorway, casting a pale glow on the woven grass mat.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared at the entrance, his broad shoulders blocking the silver moonlight, his face shrouded in shadow but still bearing a serene expression.

"Captain Aizen, it seems your carefully crafted plan has failed," Gin remarked, taking a small sip of tea, his lips barely moistened, a mocking tone in his voice as he addressed the tall figure in the doorway.

The original plan had involved faking his death and using the chaos caused by the invasion to carry out his schemes. Otherwise, even with his ability to hypnotize most of the Gotei 13 with Kyoka Suigetsu, they still posed a threat to his plan to retrieve the Hogyoku from Rukia's body.

Therefore, the reason for faking his death was to divert their attention.

Aizen hadn't anticipated that someone would be able to discern, even under the effect of Kyoka Suigetsu, that the fake corpse wasn't him, based on unique spiritual energy patterns.

No matter; it was irrelevant.

But who was this person?

It was clear they were not from the Seireitei.

Aizen had no memory of them and had no recollection of ever casting Kyoka Suigetsu on them. The only explanation likely involved the lost days related to the "Mysterious Hollow."

However, Aizen had already entered the Grand Spirit Book Corridor, where records of significant events and secrets from the history of the Soul Society were kept.

The Grand Spirit Book Corridor, independent of the will of the Soul Reapers, forcefully collected and documented everything about the Soul Society.

Aizen had attempted to find clues about the "Mysterious Hollow," but it seemed as if someone had deliberately erased all records, leaving a blank slate.

This greatly piqued Aizen's curiosity.

"Gin, I thought you had finally left my side," Aizen said, standing in the moonlight, his face partly outlined in shadow, his eyes warm behind his black-framed glasses, smiling slightly. "For someone like you who came to me without a purpose, I almost believed that what you said was true."

Aizen was referring to Gin's words at the scene of his fake death. Gin's statements had misled everyone into thinking he had infiltrated Aizen's side to thwart him since childhood, starting from their encounter in the district. Even Aizen was momentarily convinced by Gin's convincing words, which had swayed the opinions of Yamamoto Genryusai and the other captains.

The slightly bothersome part was that Aizen had now been declared a traitor and was wanted by the Seireitei.

Meanwhile, Gin was perceived as someone who had meticulously plotted to prevent Aizen's Hollowfication plans.

They were now opposites — one in the light, the other in the shadows.

"Without a purpose, one must search for it, right?" Gin replied with a grin. "Isn't Captain Aizen searching for something too?"

Even he didn't know why he stayed by Aizen's side.

But deep down, he felt there was something that could only be achieved by following Aizen.

He had forgotten his own purpose.

The only thing he hadn't forgotten was to remain by Aizen's side, waiting for his purpose to reveal itself.

Aizen turned, silver moonlight illuminating his face. The lenses of his black-framed glasses reflected a silver light, beneath which his gentle eyes gleamed with cruelty and supremacy. He smiled and said:

"Perhaps we've already found it."

With that, he stepped out into the moonlight.

Gin set down his teacup, feeling the Zanpakuto at his side as if it were stabbing into his ribs. With his usual smile, he followed Aizen's back.

°°°

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